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Asbestos Insulation: The Lurking Danger
Asbestos insulation contains asbestos, a mineral widely used in building materials because of its stability and heat resistant properties. However, asbestos is much in news because of the dangerous diseases caused because of its exposure. All insulations ...
Building A New Life in American Suburbia
America considerable progress in the early years of the 20th century is chronicled in the 1937 film America Marching On. The account of a miller's insight, planning and the resultant prosperity is told in a captivating manner. The story of how cities grew ...
Your Content for Nothing and Your Clicks for Free
Your Content for Nothing and Your Clicks for Free © 2005, David Westbrook You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as you leave the article title, author name, body and resource box in tact with the ...
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Even if the ancient wisdom had been lost, insurance companies were refusing to insure asbestos workers, or charging higher premiums for them by the 1920's. 50 Years later some companies in the asbestos industry were still doing nothing to protect their workers.
To be fair, the workers themselves had the same access to information as the companies, so must also take responsibility for their actions in deciding to work in a dangerous industry. In many respects that decision was similar to the decision that many people still take on a daily basis today - to smoke a cigarette. The apparent benefit of taking home a pay check overrode the distant possibility of death for those workers and their families, just as the immediate pleasure of a cigarette does for smokers today.
Having said that I believe that the employers have a duty to ensure that their workers are in as safe an environment as possible, and that they are aware of the risks, so that if they decide to work there, they are making an informed decision. Clearly this did not always happen, and as a result the industry is going through a series of lawsuits, where people who have become ill are suing for compensation. Many companies around the world have already gone bankrupt as a result of this, and the process appears to be continuing. In the US there is legislation proposed to pay compensation from a central fund, but this proposal seems unlikely to succeed because of the level of agreement that will be required on how the money in the fund will be collected.
Both workers and employers in all types of business would do well to reflect on this sorry saga where no-one with the possible exception of a few lawyers, will ever feel that their decision to either work in, or employ people in a dangerous environment, was justified.
About the Author
The asbestos site makes it easy to find the information you need if you think you may have been exposed to asbestos. To receive your free 35 page support guide visit the asbestos education website at http://www.asbestosabc.com
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 Former big league pitcher Dave Roberts dies of lung cancer at 64 - SLAM! Sports
Rogan said Roberts had developed lung cancer from asbestos exposure as a young man. During the off-seasons, he worked as a boilermaker. Roberts went 103-125 with a 3.78 ERA for eight teams, beginning in 1969 with the San Diego Padres and ending in ...
Health experts downplay risk from asbestos incident - HamptonRoads.com
Click a thumbnail to view the full-size image. Buy Pilot photos here. Loading... Dec. 29 Construction workers reveal asbestos-covered pipes. Monday: Students return to school. Tuesday: The school gets air-quality test results. One of six tests shows ...
Roberts, helped Pirates win 1979 World Series, dies of lung cancer - CBS Sportsline
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- Dave Roberts, a left-handed pitcher who played for the 1979 World Series champion Pittsburgh Pirates during a 13-year career in the majors, died of lung cancer Friday. He was 64. Roberts died at his home in Short Gap, according ...
Asbestos mines take their toll - Korea Herald
BORYEONG, South Chungcheong Province - Only five days have passed since Huh Yeol found out that working at two asbestos mines here in the 1970s is only now causing him severe pain. The 72-year-old resident, who suffers from frequent coughing, says he ...
Former big league pitcher Dave Roberts dies at 64 - Forbes
Dave Roberts, a left-handed pitcher who played for the 1979 World Series champion Pittsburgh Pirates during a 13-year career in the majors, died of lung cancer Friday. He was 64. Rogan said Roberts had developed lung cancer from asbestos exposure as ...
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